Is it dangerous to fill a reactor containing methanol with compressed air?
Thread Content
Due to process requirements, compressed air at 0.1 Mpa must be introduced into the reactor containing methanol to facilitate the reaction; the reactor is then maintained at 105°C and 0.44 Mpa to allow the reaction to proceed under controlled conditions. What is the security level of doing this?
Is the reaction primarily based on the oxygen in compressed air?
It mainly uses the oxygen in the air to suppress side reactions
The explosive limit of methanol is 6.7–36%, with a ignition temperature of 464 °C. Explosions are possible; the explosive limit varies depending on the oxygen content. In oxygen-rich conditions, the upper and lower limits of the explosive range widen, while in contrast, they narrow down. Formaldehyde production is a practical example: the silver method utilizes the upper explosion limit of methanol, while the iron-molybdenum method uses the lower explosion limit of methanol. Measure 1: Keep the oxygen-alcohol ratio within a safe range far from the explosive limit. Adding water vapor or other inert gases such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide to the reaction vessel can narrow the range of the lower and upper explosion limits
Although what was said on the 4th floor is quite comprehensive, I personally believe that it should be avoided as much as possible unless it is necessary for process control. Methanol tanks generally require nitrogen sealing, and the purpose of this is to isolate them from air. If air gets in, and an accident occurs, the consequences could be catastrophic; it’s better to be cautious
This is suicide; nitrogen is the safest option – why not use it?
I don’t know the reason, but there must be one
Complementary safety control measures are necessary; without them, it’s playing with one’s life